Traveler Chronicles: The Fellowship
by Kat Tru
Summary: Travelers, they can be anyone from anywhere. They are helpers, guides and friends. This is a story about just a few of them, and what happens when they show up in ME.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own LotR! OK?! I *really* don't need to be sued!  
  
I have finally decided to do a story where people from our world jump to M.E. I hope it is ok. I am mixing in bits of the book and bits of the movies. It will all be from first person, but from different peoples' perspectives.  
  
~*~  
  
Prologue  
  
You have probably heard a lot of stories of a person jumping to the world of LotR. They usually have a terrible or nonexistent home life, or at the other end of the spectrum, the perfect family life, are trained fighters or something. Well for me that is not so. My life on Earth was as normal as you can come by. I had loving great parents, though we didn't always see eye to eye, I had a younger sister who was my best friend, though we did have tiffs sometimes, a little brother, who was annoying at times but I still loved tons. I didn't have a lot of friends, but I had a few *very* good ones and I was happy with that. I myself was an average teenager; I had a relatively normal childhood. I, like all humans, have my own talents, idiosyncrasies, faults and insecurities, and I am fine with that. The truth is I am the type of person who you would least expect to do something extraordinary. I was on the swim team, but I was not one of the really good ones. I knew that if I needed to I could defend myself against someone but I was not trained in any fighting style. I was very good at English, grammar and the like; I was fair at math. I liked to write, but I knew that, though I might have write a few books when I got older, I would not be one of the ones who people follow religiously. I enjoyed doing ceramics, but I would never be a great artist. And - well you get the idea.  
  
Whenever I thought about the future I saw myself working and liking my work, but not being a mother or getting married, that was what I saw my sister doing and what she sees herself doing along with having a job, and I was alright with that.  
  
My life was quiet, but nice and while I did often have thoughts of great adventure, I was more or less happy with it.  
  
Naturally it all got turned upside down.  
  
Two years ago, when I was sixteen going on seventeen, school had just let out for the summer; I had just finished my sophomore year of high school and was looking forward to working at an outdoor pool as a lifeguard and helping with swimming lessons.  
  
One day I was coming home from work early because a thunderstorm had hit. I pulled into our driveway and parked the car. I began to run for the back door of my house when I slipped. I closed my eyes thinking, 'Great, now I am going to kiss the lovely, wet, dirty ground.' I soon hit the ground, but it wasn't the rough wet one I was expecting. It was smooth and dry. I opened my eyes and found myself in a room that was really misty. I was trying not to freak out when three beings suddenly appeared before me, literally out of thin air. They told me that I was a person called a Traveler, that it was my destiny and job to jump between realities and times, helping out, and that I was immortal, it is a weird type of immortality where my soul lives on after my body has died like all peoples' do, but mine can take form in different realities to help out. Then they told me that there were several rules, such if I knew what was going to happen I couldn't tell anyone and that I should change the history as little as possible, I was there mostly to help what was to be along. The biggest one was that I could not bind myself to someone, i.e. I was forbidden to fall in love, if I did they told me that I would endure terrible pain, for I would be stripped of my Traveling powers and other things, but I would remain immortal, but it would be a different type of immortality, one that I did not want to experience, true immortality if you wish to call it, where your body never dies. Most might think this great, but the truth is that as a Traveler you learn that it can be a great burden, for we often see millennia's even though our bodies only grow up in our own times and you start to truly feel the weight of it, first just in your soul, but soon you start to feel it in your body. Another thing is that when you become immortal you have to watch people you care about grow- up, grow-old and die while you remain unchanged. And truth be told I, like most Travelers, did not want to live forever, I liked my mortality, it was comforting and relieving. The other big rule was that I could not tell too many people that I was a Traveler, only ones I was being assigned to help and I was to live as normally as possible in my reality and time. So I was not allowed to tell my family or friends. You should try to keep something from my family, we are so close that it is damn near impossible, but I learned ways to, which, unfortunately, included lying to them. But that it beside the point.  
  
They then told that the reason that they called me was because I was to go on my first mission. Then they disappeared without further instruction. I called after them asking for more information, but received no reply. Instead moments later the floor disappeared from under my feet and I began a free fall and landed on a hard floor *very hard.* When I sat up I found myself sitting in the middle of the sitting area of Bag End, surrounded by Gandalf, Bilbo and a bunch of dwarves. I said "Hi," very sheepishly, but no one seemed to understand. They spoke to me in another language that I had never heard before. Then I remember reading in one of the LotR books that Common Tongue, also called Westron, was *not* the same as English, as many people from fan fiction make it. I bit my lip then decided to try a little Elvish; I had been studying it a bit for writing LotR fics. Gandalf was surprised that I knew that, but not CT (Common Tongue.) I explained, as best I could, what had happened. Gandalf decided that I would accompany them on their quest, for he had heard of Traveler, and met two in his life time, and realized, long before I did that my purpose of being there was to go on the quest upon they were about to embark. Thus I found myself going along on the journey that was covered in the Hobbit, but that is not the story I will be telling here. Along the way I became fluent in CT and Sindrian. I was pretty useless, however when it came to fighting at first, and I didn't help the group too much until I found out that I have a talent for throwing knives and fighting with two long Elf-knives and that I was fair with a bow and arrow. I came back many times after that first adventure, often visiting Imladris (Rivendell), Mirkwood and Hobbiton, I also visited Lothlorien once, as well as Gondor and Rohan. Over the course of those visits I learned a lot of other things, like how to move almost silently, hand-to-hand combat, improving my other fighting skills, horseback riding and so much else. Anyway, we finished with that quest and I was sent home. I found myself standing in the rain and that not a moment had passed.  
  
That was the beginning of my career as a Traveler. I swore to myself that I would do my best to help those I am assigned to; that has often meant that I have had to break a rule, or two. By the time I was in my third month of being a Traveler I had broken every rule, except two, telling my family about my being a Traveler, and, most importantly, falling in love.  
  
~*~  
  
The Arrivals, the Party and the Departures  
  
I stepped out of the portal in the middle of the wood. I drew a deep breath of fresh, clean air into my lungs; then gently released it with a sigh. I felt a great deal of the tension that had settled into my back and shoulders slip away. I smiled. "Some things never change," I murmured contentedly.  
  
I shifted my leather sack to a more secure position on my back and began to make my way out of the woods, my soft knee-high boots hardly making a sound on the ground. I wore a simple blue dress that formed to my body until my waist where it then just hung; I didn't want a long flowing skirt or long big sleeves that might get in the way; a thin, worn, brown, leather belt was around my waist and a blue, hooded cloak over it all. I had put most of my knives, daggers, blades and other weapons in my bag, with the exception of the knives hidden in my boots, the dagger tucked into my belt along my spine and my bow and quiver of arrows strapped to my back.  
  
I finally stepped out of the woods and onto the side of the road. I tucked a wisp of my blond hair that had escaped my braid and fallen into my blue eyes, behind my ear. I strained my ears for a sign of someone coming; finally I heard a familiar gruff voice singing, the clopping of horse hooves and the creak of a wagon. I smiled, went closer to the road and stuck out my thumb. Soon a wagon came around the bend, an old man in grey robes and a tall pointy hat with a long grey beard driving it. When he saw me he peered out from under his hat and smiled when he recognized me. He pulled the horse to a stop.  
  
I walked over to the wagon and rested my arms on the edge of it, smiling up at him. "Hey stranger."  
  
He chuckled.  
  
I tilted my head to the side, cheekily. "You wouldn't happen to be heading to Bag End, would you?" I knew the answer already.  
  
His eyes twinkled in amusement. "Well, you know, it just so happens that that is my destination." He lifted his hat and teasingly bowed. "Would you care for a ride, milady?"  
  
I smiled and mock curtsied in return. "Why thank you, good wizard." We both laughed. "It has been far too long since I saw you last, Gandalf! How have you been?"  
  
He gave me a hand up. I embraced my old friend tightly.  
  
"I have been very well Erfëa." He hugged me back, but abruptly pulled away and looked at me in suspicion. "Should I be worried about the fact that you are here?"  
  
I laughed. "Do not worry, my friend, my being here is not the herald of evil to come, *this time.*"  
  
He joined my laughter then got the horse going again with a flick of the reins.  
  
"I am here purely to rest. They," I cast my eyes skyward, "have given me some time off, for I have been on-call constantly the last five months and none of my assignments were at all easy." I turned to him. "Do you know how long just a *month* can be dragged out?" I shook my head.  
  
Gandalf chuckled. "Indeed. Well sixty years have passed here since your first visit, yet you look as though you have aged, at most, but a few years."  
  
I shrugged. "That is just how things go for me. Whenever I am in a reality other than the one where I was born, the only things that grow are my hair and nails. In the reality I come from I will be nineteen soon in the eyes of everyone there; it has only been two years since my first visit here." I looked away, off into the distance. "Yet for me it has been well over a millennia." I laughed bitterly. "I don't even know how many years I have seen anymore."  
  
Gandalf smiled sadly at me.  
  
I shook myself. "Enough of my whining, how have things been here? You say that it has been about sixty years since my first visit making it two since my last one." I looked at him pointedly. "Actually, speaking of visits, I have not seen *you* during my last few visits." I eyed him teasingly. "Have you been avoiding me Gandalf the Grey?"  
  
He looked at me innocently. "Now what would ever make you think that?!"  
  
I laughed and shook my head.  
  
We lapsed into a companionable silence, though Gandalf soon began to sing once again. After a bit I joined in.  
  
Minutes later I heard the sound of feet running coming from the right side of the road; a voice. "You're late!"  
  
I concealed a smile.  
  
"Whoa." Gandalf winked at me before looking up at the young Hobbit on the bank. "A Wizard and a Traveler are never late, Frodo Baggins."  
  
I looked up as well.  
  
"Nor are they ever early," he continued, "they arrive precisely when they mean to."  
  
We all struggled to keep straight faces but failed miserably; we all burst out laughing.  
  
Frodo jumped from the bank onto the wagon, more or less tackling Gandalf with a hug.  
  
"It's wonderful to see you Gandalf!" He let go of Gandalf and wrapped his arms around my neck. "And you, Erfëa!"  
  
I laughed. "It is good to see you as well, Frodo!"  
  
Gandalf looked Frodo in the eye, his own eyes twinkling with amusement. "You didn't think we would miss your Uncle Bilbo's birthday did you?"  
  
We all chuckled. I then scooted over to give Frodo room to sit between Gandalf and me. Gandalf flicked the reins and we were on your way again.  
  
"So how is the old rascal? I heard that it is going to be a party of special significance."  
  
"Well you know Bilbo." He looked at both Gandalf and I. "He has the whole place in an up-roar."  
  
Gandalf chuckled. "That should please him."  
  
I grinned, knowing that that was quite true.  
  
"Half the Shire has been invited. And the rest are showing up anyway."  
  
Gandalf and I laughed.  
  
"Sounds about right." I tilted my face toward the sun, reveling in its warmth.  
  
Frodo suddenly looked unsure. "To tell the truth Bilbo's been a bit odd lately." I raised an eyebrow at this. He looked at me, smiling wryly. "I mean more than usual." He looked down at his lap. I glanced over Frodo's head at Gandalf, who looked up a moment later. I bit my lips together, nervously and worriedly; then looked back at Frodo. "He has taken to locking himself in his study. He spends hours and hours pouring over old maps when he thinks I'm not looking. He's up to something." Gandalf and I locked eyes again, but I quickly looked off at the scenery to the right of the wagon and Gandalf returned his attention to the road, when Frodo looked up at us and noticed our silent exchange.  
  
"Alright then, keep your secrets!" We both looked back at him. "But I know that the two of you have something to do with it!" He looked between the Gandalf and me.  
  
"Good gracious me!" Gandalf said innocently while I managed to look at him blankly.  
  
Frodo then sat back. "Before the two of you came along we Bagginses were very well thought of!" He looked at Gandalf and me teasingly.  
  
"Indeed?" Gandalf acted as if this was news to him.  
  
"Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected."  
  
Gandalf settled back and removed his pipe from his mouth. "If you are referring to the incident - "  
  
I snorted with laughter at that term. "Incident doesn't even *begin* to cover what *that* was!"  
  
Gandalf ignored my comment and continued. " - the incident with the dragon I was barely involved." He began to replace his pipe in his mouth. "All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out the door."  
  
"While I, who had never been here before was intricately involved." I looked at Gandalf pointedly, who refused to look back.  
  
Frodo chuckled. "Whatever you did, you both have been officially labeled 'disturbers of the peace'!"  
  
"Oh really?" Gandalf looked at him curiously then looked at two stern looking Hobbits working in their yard who had stopped and were glaring at us.  
  
I looked back at them, crossed my eyes and stuck out my tongue at them; then quickly turned back around, trying not to laugh. "I cannot believe I did something *that* childish."  
  
"I can," Gandalf muttered just loud enough for me to hear.  
  
I reached over and hit his shoulder. He laughed.  
  
We heard Hobbit children behind us begging for fireworks.  
  
Frodo and I glanced at the stoic faced Gandalf, knowingly.  
  
We heard the distinctive sound of fireworks going off behind us and the cheering of the children and we all laughed.  
  
"Old softy," I muttered to him fondly.  
  
We were almost to Bag End when Frodo stood up and turned to us. "I'm really you're both back."  
  
"So are we, my boy." Gandalf and I waved to him as he hopped off the wagon and ran off. "So are we." He muttered the last part more to himself.  
  
We finally pulled up in front of the gate of Bag End.  
  
I smiled at the sight of the earthen home. It was a place of comfort and peace for me, for so little changed here and peace was abundant.  
  
Gandalf knocked on the round, green door with his staff.  
  
"NO THANK YOU!" a familiar voice from within cried. "We don't want anymore well wishers or distant relations!"  
  
Gandalf chuckled and glanced at me; I grinned in response. Then he turned back to the door. "And what about very old friends?"  
  
We heard the locks being undone and the door swung open. Bilbo Baggins appeared in the doorway looking out hopefully. "Gandalf? Erfëa?"  
  
I smiled reassuringly.  
  
"Bilbo Baggins!" Gandalf smiled as well.  
  
"Gandalf! Erfëa!" He ran over and wrapped Gandalf first in a hug.  
  
"111 years old! Who would believe it?" They pulled apart. Gandalf studied him closely. "You haven't aged a day."  
  
Bilbo shrugged; then turned to me. "You come by far too little!" he chided me, like an uncle, as we hugged. "We were worried that you wouldn't make it!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Bilbo. I have had a lot of assignments lately, plus I am going to be leaving secondary school very soon and that is a very important event where I come from. So my family has kept me *very* busy, but enough of that. Happy birthday!"  
  
Bilbo chuckled; then waved us inside. "Come on! Come in!"  
  
Once inside my head just about brushed the ceiling of the entry hall. Gandalf, who was *very* tall, on the other hand, (my head reached his shoulder) was nearly doubled over. Bilbo took Gandalf's hat, cloak and staff. He let me take care of my own things knowing, from experience, that I hid weapons in a lot of strange places that would baffle most "normal people" and if you didn't know where they were you could get hurt by accident.  
  
"Tea? Or maybe something a bit stronger? I have a few bottles of the Old Winyard left, 1296, very good year! Almost as old as I am!" He chuckled as he hung up Gandalf's cloak and hat. "What say we open one?"  
  
"Just tea, thank you." Gandalf began to back up toward the doorway of the sitting room.  
  
"Same!" I called as I hung my cloak, bag, quiver and bow.  
  
I bit my lip as Gandalf backed into the chandelier. He stilled it with his hands then turned around...and "BAM!" hit his head on the doorway. I clapped my hand over my mouth, but my whole body shook with laughter. He scowled slightly at me. I pulled my hand away from my mouth and chuckled as I walked past him into the sitting room. I went over to the fireplace, thumbs looped through my belt, an old habit of mine, and studied the mementos sitting on the mantle. Many of them I recognized and smiled at the memories they brought up. I looked over at Gandalf. He was standing by a table that was overflowing with maps. He held a frame in his hands. I sauntered over to his side and looked over his shoulder. I smiled sadly, it was the map from our quest to Lonely Mountain. My eyes traveled the road we had gone, memories flashing of each place as I went. When I had gone the whole journey and the journey back I looked up at Gandalf, I smiled sadly; he smiled back.  
  
I looked back at the map. "I feel so *old* when I look back on that time."  
  
Gandalf smiled; he placed his arm on my shoulders. "You have changed immeasurably since then; it is only natural to feel that way." He handed me the map, gave my shoulder a squeeze and left me to my thoughts.  
  
I continued to study the map until Bilbo came to the door. "I can make you some eggs if you like."  
  
I looked up and smiled warmly. "No thank you, Bilbo."  
  
He nodded and opened his mouth as he glanced around the room then shut it and began to look around, confused. "Oh! Gandalf?"  
  
I saw Gandalf lean into the doorway; I kept a straight face. "Just tea, thank you."  
  
Bilbo jumped and turned around. "Oh right!"  
  
I glued my eyes to the map, trying not to laugh. I then set it down and entered the kitchen.  
  
"Would you like some cheese Erfëa?" Bilbo offered me the platter.  
  
"Yes, thank you." I took two slices.  
  
Bilbo had just put a slice in his mouth when there was a pounding on the door and a female voice shrieking, "Bilbo Baggins I know you're in there!"  
  
Bilbo almost choked on his cheese and backed up to the doorway. "I'm not at home!" He looked at almost fearfully. He moved closer to the window so that he could see out, but could not be seen. "It's the Sackville- Bagginses!"  
  
I grimaced, several years back I had had the misfortune of meeting Mrs. Sackville-Baggins and I severely detested that woman immediately; her husband was no better. The meeting had involved a large box of eggs, a runaway pig, Mrs. Sackville-Baggins, myself and the butcher.  
  
"They are after the house," he explained to Gandalf. "They have never forgiven me for living this long!" He scurried back into the kitchen. "I need to get away from these confounded relatives, hanging on the bell all day; never giving me a moment's peace! I want to see mountains again! Mountains!" he told us passionately; then he seemed to become slightly tired. "And then find some place quiet where I can settle down and finish my book." He seemed to remember his original intention for being in the kitchen. "Oh tea!" He took the water from the fire place.  
  
"So you intend to go through with it?" Gandalf watched him.  
  
"Yes, everything is arranged. Thank you." He added the last part as Gandalf lifted the lid of the teapot for him.  
  
Gandalf glanced up at him. "Frodo suspects something."  
  
"Of course he does!" Bilbo said indignantly. "He's a Baggins! Not some blockheaded Bracegirttle from Hardbottle!"  
  
My lips twitched, I had always found it amusing how Hobbit families always thought theirs above the others and made comments like that about the others, though they were all inter-related just about.  
  
"You will tell him won't you?"  
  
"Yes, yes!" Bilbo continued preparing the tea.  
  
Gandalf watched him move over to the window. "He's very fond of you, you know."  
  
Bilbo's movements stilled. Gandalf had hit a nerve. "I know." Bilbo turned toward the window. "He would probably come with me if I asked him." Bilbo sighed and rested a hand on the windowsill. "But in his heart I think Frodo is still in love with the Shire," Bilbo's voice became reminiscent; I could tell that part of him was hurting at leaving the Shire more than he was letting on, "the fields, the trees, the little rivers." He leaned heavily on the sill. "I'm old, Gandalf; Erfëa." He turned toward us. "I know I don't look it, but I feel it in my heart." My eye was drawn, like Gandalf's, to his hand that was fiddling with something in his pocket. My heart twisted, knowing what it was. "I feel...thin." He lowered himself into a chair with great difficulty; my heart was wrenched even worse so at seeing someone I loved like and uncle in so much pain. "Like butter spread over too much bread." He looked off at some unknown point in the room. "I need a holiday." His voice was very final. "A very long holiday and I do not think I shall be coming back...in fact, I mean not to!"  
  
~*~  
  
The birthday party was everything that people expected it to be, though there was one part that they definitely didn't know was coming but would probably be the talk of the Shire for many more years to come. I laughed, talked, danced, ate and assisted Gandalf with the fireworks. Many of the Hobbits drank heavily, I nursed only one drink through the whole evening, I had worked with college students one summer and I had heard a lot of stories about how hammered they had been at parties, and, quite often a good few of them would come to work hung over, after that I was not at all in a hurry to experience getting drunk, as such I usually limited myself to one drink, besides that I was not a big drinker. I talked quite a bit to Frodo, teasing him when he set Sam up with Rosie, asking him when he was going to start worrying about his own love life. He had teased me right back by saying when I started to do so.  
  
I was chatting with Gandalf when the infamous "Dragon firework" was setoff. Gandalf and I looked at each other then headed toward the tent that had been blown off the ground. Gandalf went up behind them as we heard Merry say, "That was good!"  
  
"Yeah!" Pippen agreed.  
  
"Let's get another one!"  
  
Gandalf took each of them by the ear and I stepped in front of them, arms crossed, eyebrow raised and an unamused look on my face, though I was laughing on the inside.  
  
"Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took." Gandalf looked up at me. "I might have known.  
  
Gandalf decided to put them to work cleaning the dishes, thus killing two birds with one stone. We watched them carefully, knowing that leaving them alone was just asking for trouble, hell, not leaving them alone was asking for trouble.  
  
Everyone, strangely enough, listened intently to Bilbo's speech, but then again they were well fed, many had had several drinks and almost all were in good spirits so I guess it wasn't so strange. I just sat quietly listening to Bilbo's words of goodbye. I was one of the only ones not shocked when he disappeared.  
  
Gandalf glanced at me; I nodded to him to go ahead and go see Bilbo. He raised his eyebrows, asking if I wished to come along, I shook my head. "I'll say goodbye to him at the door." I sat back and watched everything going on around me.  
  
~*~  
  
I had finally decided I had stayed long enough to miss the conversation between Bilbo and Gandalf, I had never liked it, it had always made me sad and angry. I reached the door just as Bilbo was walking out.  
  
Bilbo smiled at me. "Have you come to say goodbye, Erfëa?"  
  
I smiled, kneeling down. "Yes, and to give you a birthday present." I reached into the pocket of my dress and pulled out a small object, it was a small, flat piece of wood with different symbols carved into it. I pressed it into his hand. "One of my many teachers over the years and worlds I have traveled gave this to me, it says, 'Keep Faith.'"  
  
Bilbo looked down at the gift. "Thank you, Erfëa."  
  
I smiled. "Happy birthday, Bilbo."  
  
"Goodbye, my dear." He touched my cheek, affectionately. "Take care of yourself."  
  
I smiled. "Always. Namarié, Bilbo Baggins." (Farewell.)  
  
Bilbo set off down the road with the dwarves who had been waiting for him.  
  
I got up, went over and stood next to Gandalf, watching our dear friend disappear into the dark.  
  
~*~  
  
I sat in a chair in front of the fireplace next to Gandalf. He was broodingly staring into the fire while smoking his pipe. I was doing exactly the same thing save the pipe; instead I was absentmindedly playing with the rolling ring on the index finger of my right hand. Our minds were thinking along similar lines, though his was to the past and mine was to the future. I knew what was coming and I worried for Frodo, though I knew that he would succeed I just could not help it, he was as dear as a little brother to me.  
  
I heard Gandalf mutter things under his breath every once in a while. One thing caught my attention. "Riddles in the dark."  
  
That one phrase echoed through my mind as I sat there dredging up other thoughts. "Who knows what is said in the dark?" "The dark guards its secrets closely." "The dark is treacherous." "They do not see what lies ahead when sun is failed and moon is dead."  
  
I vaguely heard the door open and Frodo come in calling, "Bilbo?!" I didn't really hear much else, so intent was my mind.  
  
Finally I was drawn out of my thoughts when Frodo was right behind Gandalf and I. I looked up and quickly put a smile on my face. Then everything, which seemed to have been moving in slow motion, seemed to speed up to twice as fast as before. Gandalf was rushing around getting his things, Frodo and I following him, until I heard the call in my mind.  
  
I glanced up at the ceiling then looked back at them. "I must go as well, They are calling me." I quickly gathered my things and opened a portal. I turned around just before I stepped inside. "I will try to come back soon. Namarié." As I stepped through the portal the last thing I heard was their farewells.  
  
~*~  
  
Hope fully this will *not* be a Mary-Sue. It is not supposed to be. PLEASE let me know what you think! 


	2. Chapter 2

::Blushes.:: Sorry it took me so long to get this part up. I know that probably only my friends are really reading this story, but I figure as long as someone wants to read it I'll write. The reason it took so long was that I sent it off to my beta, who had a lot of work on her hands as it was, so it took a while for her to get back to me. Then it got deleted. I had finals, work and graduation going. Then I had to retype it. But anywho.  
  
I want to thank my beta, Silverangel, I *really* didn't want to screw the narrations up.  
  
So here it is!  
  
~*~  
  
I appeared in the now well known to me, "misty room." My three Superiors were in front of me.  
  
"There had better be a damn good reason as to why you dragged me away from the first vacation I have had in a few *centuries* when it has only just begun!" I crossed my arms and pressed my lips together. I like my job and I loved God, but I was worn out! And my Superiors drove me nuts! They were the beings in charge of all of the Travelers.  
  
"We have an assignment for you," one of them said.  
  
I blew out a breath. "I.e. My vacation is out the window." I sighed. "Ok, I'm ready." I braced myself to be literally dropped where ever the assignment was.  
  
"Not quite yet," another Superior spoke up. I looked at them. "For this assignment it has been decided that you will have a partner."  
  
I gaped at them. "Are you kidding? You know that I prefer to work alone!"  
  
"You have in the past, yes," the third Superior agreed, "and you have done very well."  
  
"So why rock the boat?" I had nothing against other Travelers, I had, on a few occasions, met up with some of them and sometimes asked for some help on a certain aspect of an assignment. But I had never worked *with* another Traveler. I worked alone, in fact I was called by many of my fellow Travelers and beings who knew what I was the "Lone Traveler." My name in M.E., Erfëa, meant, roughly, "Lone Spirit."  
  
No. 2: "This will be her first assignment and we thought that this would be a good assignment for, not only you, but her as well."  
  
I sighed. 'Great, a newbie.'  
  
No. 1: "It will be a sort of apprenticeship."  
  
"Wait! This person gets to have a seasoned Traveler show her the ropes, but for me you just dumped me in M.E., no help what-so-ever, no my first go?" I looked at each of them, incredulous.  
  
The looked at each other; then turned to me and simultaneously said, "Yes."  
  
I rolled my eyes and threw my hands up in the air in defeat. "Arg!" I blew out a breath. "Ok, so who is it?"  
  
No. 3: "You will be able to as her yourself."  
  
I looked at them suspiciously. "Where is she?"  
  
No. 1 looked up toward where the ceiling *should* have been, though I had never seen one: "She should be here momentarily."  
  
My eyes widened as I followed his gaze. "Oh no!" I groaned. 'This is *not* good!'  
  
Someone was falling toward us. She hit the ground with a yelp of pain.  
  
I winced sympathetically, knowing, from immeasurable amount of experience, how much that hurt.  
  
"Where the *hell* am I!?"  
  
I recognized that voice. My jaw went completely slack. "Liz?!" I squeaked in shock.  
  
She leapt to her feet; she was about two years younger than me with chin length blond hair. Her blue eyes, which were already open wide, went even wider when she saw me.  
  
"Mel?!" she cried.  
  
I was able to smile weakly. 'Oh shit!' "Uh...hi?" I was completely chagrinned.  
  
I then realized that she was gasping for air and might go into shock. "Breath, Liz. Breath," I encouraged her gently. "It's ok."  
  
Liz took a couple of calming breaths; then said, "Ok, two questions: One: Where the hell am I?" She said this calmly. "Two: WHAT THE *HELL* IS GOING ON!?" She screamed that part.  
  
I winced.  
  
No. 1 stepped forward. "Please calm down Elizabeth. We shall explain."  
  
I snorted and gestured into the mists; two seats appeared. Liz's eyes went wide again. I sat down and gestured her to do the same. "I would sit down if I were you. Not only will this take a long time, but trust me, you will *need* to sit down."  
  
She eyed the seat a little distrustfully, but since nothing bad had happened to me when I sat down she seemed to decide that it must be all right and took a seat.  
  
~*~ (Liz's POV)  
  
(A.N. Since you already know the details of a Traveler's job I will spare you the long explanations that followed.)  
  
The Superiors finished explaining everything to me then they, along with Mel, watched me silently. I just sat there, deep in thought.  
  
Here I was, a normal fifteen-going-on-sixteen year-old. I had an older brother, who could be such a dork, but he was my brother. A mom, whom I loved and all in all got along with. And a dad, who sometimes drove me nuts, but I loved. I was a sophomore in high school. I *loved* to sing. I played badminton. I was addicted to wall climbing. And I wrote fan fiction.  
  
Today started off like any other school day. I went to my classes and lunch, Mel often would pop in during the very beginning of the period and talk for a little bit before she went back to her class. Then as I was heading down the steps to the gym for the open gym time so that I could practice badminton I tripped on the third to the last step and fell. I had tried to grab the railing, but I missed. I closed my eyes in anticipation of hitting the floor, my hands in front of me, to break my fall. The fall had felt like it was lasting longer than it should; the next thing I knew I was sitting on my butt in this place.  
  
"So?" Mel's voice drew me out of my thoughts. "Aren't you going to say something?"  
  
I thought for a moment then turned to her. "Cool." My voice was calm, but excited.  
  
She gapped at me. "'Cool'? You are just going to accept what you have just been told, that you can jump through different times and realms, with just a 'Cool'?"  
  
I shrugged. "Well you are here and are acting normally and if this were a dream you would be acting weird, not normally. Besides, I have always known there was something weird about me."  
  
The three Superiors looked at each other, then back at me.  
  
No. 3: "Well that is certainly a different reaction than Melissa. She kept saying, 'This must be a dream. This must me a dream.'"  
  
Mel gave them a withering look.  
  
No. 1: "We must go now."  
  
And they immediately disappeared, literally, into thin air.  
  
"Hey!" I jumped to my feet. "Aren't you going to tell us what our mission is?!"  
  
Naturally there was no response.  
  
I turned to Mel. "Do *you* know what our mission is?"  
  
"Nope." She stood up and the chair disappeared.  
  
"Well, then, what are we supposed to do?"  
  
She nonchalantly looked at the nonexistent watch on her wrist; then held up three fingers. "Three." She dropped one. "Two. One..."  
  
And the floor dropped out from underneath our feet.  
  
"What theeeeeeeee...!" I screamed. We free fell for quite a while until we hit the ground with a crash/clatter.  
  
"Do they *always* drop us with no info like this?" I turned to Mel, who like myself, was fighting her way out of pots, pans and the like.  
  
"To quote the immortal words of Piper Halliwell, 'Leave it to them to zap first and give instructions never." She finally was able to get up; I followed her suit. We headed out of the room, which I now saw was a small kitchen; we had to bend over slightly to get through the *round* doorway, which held no door.  
  
We stepped into a sitting room...And my jaw hit the floor when I saw the room's soul two occupants. One was quite a bit shorter than Mel, the other occupant and I, while the other occupant towered over all three of us. The were looking at Mel and I with surprise. Mel said something to them in another language. Then she turned to me. "Liz, meet Gandalf the Grey and Frodo Baggins. What do you want your name to be?"  
  
I looked at her, confused. "Say what?"  
  
"You can't go by your Earth name here," she explained.  
  
"Oh! Umm..." I thought. Liz was what my friends called me, short for Elizabeth. Beth was another nickname that my family called me, but that still a little too uncommon to be used here. I flipped through my mind, trying to find a name, when one thing came up: Rethe. I had heard it somewhere in reference to J.R.R. Tolkien's M.E. and it was close enough to Beth that I was pretty sure I could easily adapt to it and respond when called it. "Rethe. My name will be Rethe."  
  
Mel raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What?" I looked at her confused.  
  
"That is the name of the third month in the Elvish calendar."  
  
I grinned. "Cool, my birth-month."  
  
She shook her head in amusement as she turned back to Gandalf and Frodo.  
  
~*~ (Erfëa/Mel's POV)  
  
When we first entered the sitting room of Bag End Frodo and Gandalf looked at Liz and I strangely. I told them, dryly, "Don't ask."  
  
I turned and introduced Gandalf and Frodo to Liz and asked her what name she wanted, though I knew that Gandalf would know what her real name was since I had taught him English when he had taught me Elvish and Westron.  
  
I was surprised when she chose Rethe since that was her birth month and I didn't think she knew that. But apparently she had heard of the name and it really was a lovely name.  
  
I turned back to Gandalf and Frodo. "This is Rethe, my friend and fellow Traveler. She doesn't speak Westron, and she only knows a couple of words of Elvish."  
  
"Mae Govannen, Rethe." Frodo extended his hand for her to shake.  
  
~*~ (Rethe's POV)  
  
Frodo Baggins put out his hand for me to shake and said, "Mae Govannen, Rethe."  
  
I bit my lip and whispered to Mel as I slowly reached for his hand, "That means 'Welcome,' right?"  
  
"Actually it means 'Well Met,' but when roughly translated, yes, it can mean 'Welcome'."  
  
"How do you say 'Thank you'?"  
  
"'Hannon le'."  
  
"Hannon le, Frodo Baggins." I shook his hand, smiling.  
  
I turned to Gandalf, he smiled, amusement twinkling in his eyes. He shook my hand and said something in another language that I did not understand. I was about to turn to Mel for a translation when he said, *in English,* "It is Westron, or Common Tongue, for 'Welcome'."  
  
I want to bet that my eyes just about fell out of my head. "You speak English?!"  
  
He chuckled.  
  
"Gandalf taught me Westron and Elvish. At the same time I taught him English," Mel explained.  
  
"And how did you two meet?"  
  
"It was my first mission. They sent me her on the quest to Lonely Mountain..." She furrowed her brow, trying to remember. She turned to Gandalf. "How many years has it been here?"  
  
"Seventy-seven."  
  
"Hannon le." She nodded to him gratefully; then turned back to me. "Seventy- seven years-ago here, and two years-ago in our world."  
  
I nodded, I had never read "The Hobbit" and thus didn't know really anything about what happened in it except that it was when Bilbo found the Ring, but something was nagging me at the back of my mind about it being seventy-seven years since "The Hobbit".  
  
I noticed how Frodo was fidgeting, rather uncomfortable at being out of the loop.  
  
I nudged Mel and nodded to Frodo.  
  
At first she didn't quite understand, but then her eyes went wide with comprehension and embarrassment. "Ai, Frodo!"  
  
~*~ (Erfëa's POV)  
  
"Ai, Frodo! Edaved nin!" (Oh, Frodo! Forgive me!) I kicked myself for being so rude, and to my own host!" I had almost forgotten that Frodo didn't know English.  
  
"It's alright, Erfëa."  
  
For the first time since Liz - er - I mean Rethe - I needed to get used to calling her that so that I didn't slip-up - and I had arrived I noticed how Frodo was dressed. He was wearing traveling clothes; a pack was on his back and a walking stick in his hand. I then remembered that Gandalf had said that it was seventy-seven years since the Lonely Mt. quest; thus it was seventeen years since Bilbo's party...when Frodo set out from the Shire for Brie. I now had a good idea of what They wanted us to do.  
  
I opened my mouth to explain why we were here when we heard a rustling in the bushes outside the window.  
  
"Get down!" Gandalf told Frodo in a low voice. He grabbed his staff as Frodo dropped to the ground.  
  
I looked over at Rethe and winked with an amused smirk.  
  
She nodded with a smirk of her own. We both turned back to watch.  
  
~*~ (Rethe's POV)  
  
Things had become increasingly familiar as we had stood there, but everything had fallen into place now. I watched as Gandalf swiftly leaned out the window and hit Sam on the head. We heard Sam cry out in pain. Gandalf threw his staff behind him without looking. Unfortunately the butt end of it was heading straight at me. In instinctively grabbed it and flipped if in my hand so that it was upright.  
  
Mel raised her eyebrows and muttered, "Nice."  
  
I shrugged. "Badmintion."  
  
We both turned back to see Gandalf all but throw Sam on the table. He shouted something in what I assumed what C.T. (Common Tongue), and although I didn't know the language I knew what he had said.  
  
I had to fight to keep from laughing; I could see Mel and Frodo were in similar states.  
  
Gandalf finally glanced up at the three of us, as if sharing a secret. Then he looked back down at Sam, leaning closer and whispering.  
  
~*~  
  
Gandalf sent Sam off, I assume, to get packed. I glanced down at my clothes, which I hadn't noticed until Mel - uh - Erfëa pointed it out to me. I was wearing dark brown britches and boots, a lavender shirt, a lighter brown tunic, which was cinched at the waist by a woven leather belt, and a dark brown hooded cloak. Erfëa was dressed the same as I, except she wore a dark blue shirt and leather arm braces, to protect her arms when she used her bow and arrows. Her bow and quiver were strapped to her back, with a pair of Elvish knives attached to the quiver. We were both carrying packs with food and other essentials.  
  
Just after Sam left Mel told me to call her Erfëa, since that was her name here in M.E. I asked her how she came up with it. She just looked over at Gandalf and said that he had given it to her. She had then explained to Gandalf and Frodo that we had been sent here and that she believed that we were supposed to go with Frodo, which I was quite thrilled to hear. Gandalf, rather than arguing as I thought he would do at the thought of two "young ladies" going on a potentially dangerous mission, seemed relieved that we were going.  
  
We first walked to where Gandalf had left his horse, which was where Sam was going to meet us.  
  
He rummaged through one of the saddlebags until he pulled out a sword, it wasn't very big but it wasn't really small either, and handed it to me. "This should be a good weight for you to handle, not the best, but it will suffice, for I fear that you may need it."  
  
I unsheathed it, testing it's weight, I twirled it like I often did with my badminton racket until I go the feel of it and it felt more comfortable in my hand; then I resheathed it and hooked it onto my belt. "^Thank you,^" I said in C.T., Erfëa had taught me how to say it.  
  
He smiled. "You adapt very quickly, that will serve you well."  
  
I grinned. "^Thank you.^ I really want to learn Elvish the most though."  
  
He chuckled. "You are well on your way. You will have a lot of help from this group in both languages."  
  
I smirked. "What better way to learn a couple new languages than total emersion?"  
  
He chuckled.  
  
Erfëa came over to us and extended a sheathed dagger to me. "In case the sword is beyond your use for some reason."  
  
I stared at the dagger as I took it and unsheathed it halfway. I then looked up at Erfëa who gave me a grim smile. I hooked it onto my belt as well. "Thank you."  
  
Erfëa nodded.  
  
Suddenly we heard a clamor of clanging pots and pans and we looked up. I almost burst out laughing at the sight of poor Sam carrying the huge pack.  
  
Once he had caught up to us Gandalf immediately began walking briskly; leading his horse. He called back to us in C.T. and I was pretty sure it meant something along the lines of "Come along" or the like.  
  
He was the tallest of the group and his strides were so long that I almost had to run to keep up. Poor Sam was having the hardest time keeping up with us.  
  
Finally we came to the point, in the movie, where Gandalf parted company from us. He knelt down in front of Frodo and spoke to him, I listened carefully, I knew the movie by heart and knew what Gandalf was saying to Frodo; I found myself able to pick out a few words and figure out what they were. I repeated them over and over in my mind to commit them to memory.  
  
He then stood up and spoke to Erfëa in what sounded like Elvish.  
  
"Yé. Namarié, mellon nîn." Erfëa nodded; then, abruptly, she hugged him. She pulled away and stepped back, next to Frodo.  
  
Gandalf raised an eyebrow at Erfëa, but said nothing. He then turned to me. "It had been a pleasure to meet you, Rethe. Keep safe until we meet again."  
  
I nodded. Then watched as he leapt onto his horse (and trust me when I say, seeing a man of his age leaping onto a horse is *very* odd) and rode off.  
  
~*~  
  
I don't know if that was any good, but it was most just a chapter to introduce Rethe. And if my characters are Mary Sue-ish I have gotten to the point where I don't care! 


End file.
